About The Writers

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Glow--A Must Read For YA Fans

Post by Kerrie**CONGRATULATIONS to Dean Miller who was randomly chosen as the winner. He will receive a copy of GLOW. **

During my two-week sabbatical, I had the pleasure of reading Amy Kathleen Ryan's latest YA book, Glow, a Sci-Fi story that has spaceships, suspense, romance and of course teen drama.

As much as I loved Star Wars as a kid, I don’t typically read Sci-Fi books as an adult. They are usually hard for me to wrap my brain around since the fiction world is so far “out there.” So when I got a review copy of Glow, the first book in Ryan's new series, I wondered how I would like it.

Bottom line—I loved it! She drew me into her world, took me on a short tour, introduced me to the characters, then Wham! I was hit with the action. The story took off at light speed and I was hooked. Ryan's tight writing and intriguing characters kept my attention throughout.

In most stories there is a clear protagonist and antagonist, but in Glow it is not always clear. Ryan masterfully led me in one direction before dropping new bits of information that had me questioning whether or not I really knew who the "bad guy" was.

For two days I was consumed with the lives of those on the Emperian and the New Horizon and my head was not in the clouds, but in space. I was invested in these characters and concerned for their well-being. The end wrapped up the important elements for this story, but left questions that had me yearning for the next book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story that will take them away to another world.

Here is a quick blurb about the book.

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

*Win an ARC copy of Glow. Leave a comment to be entered. The drawing will be on Friday**.